The podcast explores lessons in teaching from The Princess Bride, discussing topics such as student engagement, visual thinking, and power dynamics in organizations. It also introduces ed tech tools like Haiku Deck and Pinboard for link management and research. Excitement for future Q&A episodes and a brief mention of The Wonder Years is also included.
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Quick takeaways
Help students break down complex concepts using visualization aids like doodling and pen casts.
Promote resilience and grit in students by paying attention to their wishes and dreams.
Deep dives
Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast
This episode of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast explores lessons in teaching from the movie The Princess Bride. The host reflects on the importance of vocabulary usage in teaching and encourages professors to break down complex concepts for beginners. The use of visual aids, like doodling and pen casts, is recommended to enhance student understanding and retention. Additionally, the episode highlights the significance of paying attention to students' wishes and dreams, promoting resilience and grit in the face of challenges. The power dynamics within academic institutions are also discussed, urging faculty to be aware of their influence and use it for positive impact.
Haiku Deck and Visual Presentations
The host introduces an EdTech tool called Haiku Deck, which allows users to create visually engaging presentations. The tool emphasizes the use of images over text and provides a collection of creative commons images for users to choose from with proper citations. Visual presentations are encouraged to enhance student retention and engagement, and the host shares personal examples of using visuals in their teaching.
Navigating Power Dynamics
The episode highlights power dynamics in academic institutions, such as the tension between faculty and administration or the influence of tenure. Different bases of power, such as legitimate power, expert power, and referent power, are explained, urging faculty to be aware of the power dynamics and use their influence for positive change. The host encourages self-awareness and discussion about power dynamics to navigate organizational politics and drive positive outcomes.
Pinboard for Link Management
The host recommends an EdTech tool called Pinboard, which is a link management system. Pinboard allows users to save and tag links for future reference, making it easier to organize and retrieve useful articles or resources for teaching or research purposes. The tool also provides the option to archive articles, ensuring access even if the original source becomes unavailable. The host shares how they use Pinboard to save and categorize links for different classes and topics, providing a starting point for further research.
This is the space where we explore the art and science of being more effective at facilitating learning. We also share ways to increase our personal productivity approaches, so we can have more peace in our lives and be even more present for our students.
“Resilience is that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes. Psychologists have identified some of the factors that make someone resilient, among them a positive attitude, optimism, the ability to regulate emotions, and the ability to see failure as a form of helpful feedback.”
“One of the most notable studies on power was conducted by social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven, in 1959.” They identified five bases of power:
Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the formal right to make demands, and to expect compliance and obedience from others.
Reward – This results from one person’s ability to compensate another for compliance.
Expert – This is based on a person’s superior skill and knowledge.
Referent – This is the result of a person’s perceived attractiveness, worthiness, and right to respect from others.
Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance.